Ministers gooien de Minderheid in het water 1920 - 1930

Here we have Patricq Kroon’s drawing, Ministers gooien de Minderheid in het water, which translates to “Ministers throw the minority in the water,” a political cartoon done with pencil on paper. I love the economy of Kroon's lines! This piece is rendered almost entirely in thin black lines that delineate shapes and figures with a caricaturist’s verve. The texture comes from the density and direction of the pencil marks, especially around the sack marked “De Minderheid,” where the shading creates a sense of depth and weight. Looking closely, you can see the confidence in each stroke, a real sense of the artist's hand moving quickly and decisively across the page. The dark lines around the feet of the figures really drive home how the figures are grounded. It reminds me of Daumier, who also fearlessly tackled political subjects with just as much skill. Art is always a dialogue, right? And sometimes, that dialogue is a full-throated debate!